Fibe-escape



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. HANCOCK, OF LANSING, IOWA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 23,462, dated Ap1'1-5, 1859.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. HANCOCK, of Lansing, in the county of Allamakee, State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, being a part of this specification, in Which- Figure l, is a perspective view of my improvement attached to a table when not in use. Fig. 2, represents my improvement ready for use but the works not in motion. Fig. 3 is a transverse view with the Works in motion.

This invention consists in providing works similar to those of a clock consisting of roller, a ratchet Wheel 13, and pawl N, with driving Wheels C and D, the driving wheel, D 7 acting in the pinions of the fly Wheels E, E. Attached to the driving wheel D, is a rim 1), near the outer edge, also a number of pins g, are attached to the spokes of said wheel, which when the wheel is in motion strike on the spring M, which serves as a brake. There is also a block brake y with a cord fw attached, which acts on the rim of the driving wheel D, the rope which is attached to the brake y, is to be used by the person descending in the basket VL or its equivalent, which basket is attached by a rope IL to the roller Af acting the same as the Weight of a clock. The Whole weight is detained from descending by the detent or stop 00, which stop acts on one of the fly wheels E. When a person is ready to descend turn the crank O, one fourth round, which will free the fly wheel E, from the detent and permit you to safely descend to the ground. The whole of the works are made fast in the draw, or attached to the top of a table S," or its equivalent which is attached by means of two hooks and chained to the Window sill. There is also attached to the basket l/V or its equivalent a cord u which can be used to assist the person descending to guide the basket so as to enable them to avoid lire which may be issuing from the Windows beneath.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows. On the occasion of a fire the table S or its equivalent is put out of the window the top of the table resting against the wall of the building, the basket Will then hang down by its own Weight and is prevented from descending by the detent m until the person wishing to descend in safety, is in the basket, then turn the crank O one fourth of a revolution. This crank is near to the hand of the person who may be in the basket, the ily wheel will be let loose, and the person will descend in safety, the weight of the body being retarded in its descent by the spring brake M the retarding power being regulated to one hundred and forty pounds. When much heavier weight is attached to the basket W or its equivalent, the person descending can pull on the cord w attached to the brake y with which they can retard their descent to suit themselves. If lire should be issuing from windows beneath the cord or its equivalent '14, attached to the basket fw will enable a person beneath to guide it on one side. T ie basket is then wound up by the next Waiting to descend by the crank K which is under the top of the table and near to the wall, when by turning the crank O back the basket is detained until the person is ready to descend.

I do not intend to conne myself to the precise mode of Winding up the machine as it may be varied and in fact must be when the form of the case or piece of furniture in which it is inclosed is changed. No1' do I confine myself to the materials of which the basket is composed, as in changing the case the materials of the basket must be changed also.

I am aware that the use of the flying pinion as a retarding power is not new, therefore separately considered I do not claim them, but

I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The flying pinions E, E in combination with the detent fr the driving wheel D the spring brake M and block brake y as substantially described and for the purpose set forth.

2. I also claim in combination with the described piece of mechanism the table or its equivalent as substantially described and for the purpose set forth.

J OI-IN M. HANCOCK.

Witnesses RICHARD LUGKINS, l MORITZ KERNDT. L 7 p 

